Rosemary A. (Bauer) Austin, age 91 years, of Hillsboro and formerly of Elroy, passed away on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 at the Milestone Senior Living Center in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
She was born on Feb. 19, 1924 to John G. and Mary (Heintz) Bauer Sr. in Marietta, Ohio. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marietta and graduated from St. Mary’s Parochial High School in 1942.
She attended Marietta College for one year; then went to Pittsburgh, PA, where she studied nursing at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she returned to Marietta and was employed at the Marietta Memorial Hospital. Several months later, she and a nurse friend were recruited for a hospital in Oakdale, California. Later they accepted positions at Sonoma County Hospital in Santa Rosa, California.
While in Santa Rosa, she met Sgt. John Austin, who was stationed at Two Rock Ranch Station, near Santa Rosa. They were married at St. Rose Catholic Church in Santa Rosa on June 11, 1953. Because of military transfers, they also lived at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, Ft. Ord, California and Ft. Lewis, Washington. In 1963, they moved to Elroy, Wisconsin where John’s family lived and purchased their farm. Rosemary then worked at Hess Memorial Hospital in Mauston.
Survivors include her children, Janet (David) Campana of Helen, Montana, Michael (Pamela Thompson) Austin of Wonewoc, Joanne Segovia of Elroy, Terry Austin of Tallahassee, Florida, Robert (Mary) Austin of Elroy, Maureen (Brian) Holder of St. Louis, Rosemary E. (Jon Kunesh) of Anchorage, Alaska, Mark (Tammy) Austin of Asheville, North Carolina and David (Kara) Austin of Minneapolis; several special Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren and a brother, Ted Bauer of Marietta, Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her parents; Husband, John on Aug. 17, 2010; a son, John Patrick, grandson, Sean Coker; sisters, Clara Baldwin, Katherine Siley, Mary Margaret Pfeiffer, Lela Schenkel, Josephine Wilson; and brothers, Paul Bauer and John Bauer.
Funeral Services were held on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Elroy. Friends called at the Picha Funeral Home in Elroy on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. For online information go to www.pichafuneralhomes.com
In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Viterbo University Scholarship Fund, Elroy Public Library or Royall High School Music Department.
